The One
by DancingStar01
Summary: Connor asks Lindsay to accompany him to his sister s wedding where they had to act like a couple for his cancer-stricken mother.  Consequences included...! IN CHAPTER 2 CONNOR AND LINDSAY WANT TO GET MARRIED!
1. The one

Title: The One  
Author: Dancing Star  
Pairing: Doyle / Donner  
Rating: I don´t know! Those who should not read it- read it anyway! :-) (But I think NC-12 is ok...)  
Spoiler: none  
Summaries: Connor asked Lindsay to accompany him to his sister´s wedding where they had to act like a couple for his cancer-stricken mother. Consequences included...!  
Comments: The characters are not mine, but I would appreciate your feedback! Also thanks to Diana Krall for her inspiring music! When I wrote that special scene I had your song in my ear. Thank you!

The One

"Lindsay, you don´t need to do that," Connor said to her, as he parked his car on this Thursday morning in front of a wealthy country estate.  
"It is too late," she smiled at him over the car roof, "I would have to walk home, and that's pretty far."  
His sister got married this weekend and she had invited the whole family to the stud farm of their parents. Connor´s mother had invited him and told him just by chance she had cancer. She took it in stride, considering she had not long to live perhaps. But Erica Doyle did not want anyone to mourn her. She wanted to see her family one last time and know they all were fine and happy. "Connor," she had said on the phone to him, "When will you introduce us your girlfriend?"  
"I ... um, that's not so easy." His mother had always assumed he had already found the one. But that was not true. Connor had to take care of all the work so he had no time to run for his private life.  
"Tell her, she should take few days time off and invite her to Melanie´s Wedding!"  
Connor had the conversation with her in the mobile lab and it was his fate that Lindsay entered at this moment the meeting room and scarred him a little, "Lindsay, I´m still talking on the phone!"  
His mother then interpreted it totally wrong: "Lindsay, so that's her name? Well, ask her if she can come along. We look forward to seeing you. Bye, Connor." And then Erica hung up. That's how Connor and Lindsay were slipped into this situation.  
He had told her his mother suffered from cancer and wouldn´t live until Christmas probably. Lindsay thought it was no good idea to lie to his mother and finally he nodded in agreement. But then she admitted she was interested, where his parents lived and when he told her it was an old stud farm, she wanted to see it. Lindsay loved horses and she still had some remaining vacation days. So she agreed to come with him. On the way to the stud farm she asked amused how they met and Connor said this had happened at work. At least this was not a lie.  
They reached now the stud farm on which his parents lived. It was more beautiful than Connor had described it and Lindsay felt at home immediately. An older woman came out of the big house. "Connor," she cried with joy and hugged him.  
"Mom, Hello."  
Erica now discovered the pretty blonde woman who had come with him. "You are Lindsay!", She said and hugged her, "Come in!" Erica showed Lindsay thrilled her house then she showed her the garden where Connors sister, her future husband and his dad were waiting. A small child came up to him excitedly and Connor teased the little girl. "This is Allie, my little niece," said Connor then he introduced Lindsay to the rest of his family: "This is my father, my sister Melanie." Connor met Melanie's future husband for the first time. He had never met Thomas before.  
"This is Lindsay!", said Erica, "She is Connors girlfriend!"  
She was welcomed very friendly by the rest of the family and his mother opened the lunch. Connor and his dad met at the buffet table while Lindsay met one of Melanie's college friends.  
"Connor, you have a pretty girlfriend," his father said to him, "Tell me, why it took so long until we got to know her?"  
"I had no time, Dad."  
"Work, eh? ... Boy, I tell you what: You have to be careful with such a pretty woman. If she gives you the run Pass, you won´t get her back again. You should make sure no one else gets her and you should take care of such relationships like a flower, you know? Now go and tell your girlfriend how beautiful she is, before I do it."  
Connor rolled his eyes and went back to the table. Sometimes his father could be very annoying, but he was right: Lindsay looked really great.  
She was wearing a beige pant and a blouse with printed flowers. Her blonde hair shone. Even the packing of her suitcases had become a gauntlet for Lindsay. She wanted to carry weight on Connors parents but they should not think she was a Babbitt. So she chose a few dresses and some nice clothes for riding.  
"You look very pretty," Connor told her in passing and bent over to kiss her on the cheek. For a second, the world stopped spinning and Lindsay looked at him with wide eyes. Then she realized again it was just for show. A game they played only that his mother believes he was lucky, so she could leave this world.  
"Thanks," she said slightly confused and sat down with the others at the table.  
During the meal, they talked about various things. Lindsay sat between Connor and Melanie. His sister was very friendly and after they were a bit come into the conversation, she told Lindsay that Thomas was not Allies' father. She was the result of a long-standing relationship and when Allie was two years old, her father left Melanie. This story looked very familiar for Lindsay! But Melanie did not care. Finally, she found in Thomas the love of her life.  
Somehow they had come to their school time and Connors father asked: "Melanie, can you still remember how you've refused to dissect this cow eyes in school?"  
"I was kept in for that!"  
"Serves you right!", said Connor and now his sister was furious. "This model student was only kept in one time after school," she told Lindsay, "He had to write a 100 times My mother is not dating Jimmy Hendrix on the blackboard."  
Lindsay laughed.  
It was a very nice lunch and then Melanie, Thomas, Allie and Connor wanted to show her the barn and some horses. Melanie noticed that Connor held Lindsay hand as they made the tour. Should her brother probably have found the one?  
Allie showed them the pony, which had received on her last birthday and Lindsay stroked the small spotted horse. "Do you like horses?", Allie wanted to know and Lindsay nodded.  
It was a pretty big stud farm and they were all back until evening. Connor explained to her she had not seen everything of the farm and Lindsay was amazed.  
"I hope you like it here," Melanie said to her, while they were saying goodbye in front of their doors, "If you need a dress for my bachelor party let me know."  
"Thanks, I have everything with me. See you tomorrow, Melanie." Lindsay closed the door leading to the room where she and Connor attended over the weekend. As Erica thought they were a couple, they shared a room, but Connor was sleeping on the couch. Tired she went to bed that night ...

"Hello," with these words Allie rushed into the room and she hopped on the couch.  
"Uncle Connor" she began, "Can you tell me what flirting means? Mommy and Grandma are making breakfast in the kitchen and have a conversation about the fact that you and Lindsay were flirting with each other yesterday, but they don´t want to explain what it means."  
"Allie ..."  
"Where's Lindsay? Where is she?"  
"She takes a shower ..." Connor tried to talk to her, but the little girl continues hopping blithely on the couch.  
"Is flirting something bad?", Now she saw the pillow and the blanket what lay on the couch, "Are you sleeping on the couch? Why are you sleeping on the couch? Thomas sometimes has to sleep on the couch when Mommy is angry with him ... Is Lindsay angry with you, Uncle Connor? Why won´t you tell me?"  
"It is enough, now, Allie!"  
The little girl looked at him shocked and jumped off the furniture. She apologized.  
"No, Allie. It's just...", he thought for a moment. He couldn´t tell Allie the truth. She was the chatterbox of the family. If she knew it, Melanie would know it, too, and she told it to his mother. No, he could not tell her.  
"It's just because I´m snoring a bit too loud, you know," he asked her and she looked at him.  
"I don´t believe you," came from her and for a moment Connor was cold. He thought she had his number.  
Allie grinned. She was still convinced the two had disputes. "I think she likes you very much," said Allie, "But you have to show it to her, Uncle Connor."  
Connor did not believe it: This four-year dwarf would give him tips.  
"You have to tell her how pretty she is and you have to buy her a horse."  
"Allie, please. I know all these things, "said Connor. He hoped, Lindsay hadn´t heard what Allie said.  
"All right!... Grandma says, in half an hour we´ll have breakfast! "

They met half an hour later in the garden and ate breakfast. Connor planned to talk to his father in detail after the meal. He wanted to know how he dealt with the cancer of his wife and if there were chances of a cure.  
After meal, they split up the group. Lindsay did not know how she was spending the day. Finally, Melanie had a brilliant idea: "Lindsay, you want to ride out with me? I will show you our mares and their foals in the pasture", Melanie said and Lindsay wanted to come along very much. She said goodbye to Connor and Allie and saw Melanie had a beautiful brown horse for her. Melanie was already sitting on a beautiful black thoroughbred.  
Allie watched as her mother and Lindsay rode to the mares and when she could not see then anymore she turned to her uncle. "Let's start, Uncle Connor."  
"Allie, I have to talk to your grandfather..."  
"You can even tomorrow. Come on!"

When Lindsay came back from the trip that night she saw how reams of small candles lined the short hallway of the small, dark room. She wondered what had happened and walked cautiously to the living area. Again, it was dark, but many candles bathed the room in warm light. Connor was standing in front of the window and looked out.  
"Connor, what's going on?" She was confused.  
He smiled softly and could not even believe that he actually listened to Allie. "The truth is: I don´t know. Allie has persuaded me to this. She only left after I promised faithfully to leave the room like that."  
"She has persuaded you to what?"  
"She thought we both have a problem with each other. Apparently we were not convincing enough."  
"That's why you work flat out? I feel flattered, "she smiled and took his hand. Connor was surprised that she did this and looked at her.  
"If you want, the candles ..."  
"No, no," her voice was so quiet, "It is incredibly beautiful." She already melted away.  
Connor had really tried and she heard the stereo softly playing this song, which she liked. It was a perfect moment ... Lindsay did not know exactly what she had said, that he pulled her into his arms and her whole body tingled as he began to dance slowly with her. She got dizzy as she felt his hands on her waist and dhe would not resist him longer and she laid her head against his cheek so she don´t need to look into his beautiful grey eyes any longer. Lindsay closed her eyes for a moment and she was breathing.  
"Is everything all right?", He asked, looking at her.  
Lindsay nodded and wasn´t able to speak. She feared that her voice sounded unusually nervous when she said something now. She was still dizzy as he approached her came closer. Her heart beat up to the neck when he finally kissed her. She hardly dared to breathe and reached gently for his wrist when his kisses were more passionate. They should not do it: she remembered it was not serious and that they did it only for Connor´s mother.  
Lindsay tried to push him away, but her heart cried out for this incredible feeling that he caused in her. Finally, she managed to end the kiss. "Connor, the boundaries between reality and lie are subordinating completely new," she whispered, "I am not ready yet."  
"I understand," he sounded a little disappointed. Connor had risked it, had gone the whole hog when he had kissed her and surprised her with the candles.  
"Give me a little time," she whispered and kissed him one more time. Then she left to the bathroom to get ready for bed. But first she had a cold splash of water to wipe the emerging fever off her face.

_You've got the_  
_Look of love, it's on your face_  
_A look that time can't erase_  
_Be mine tonight, let this be just the start of so many nights like this_  
_Let's take a lover's vow and then seal it with a kiss (Diana Krall)_

The next morning she went upstairs without Connor. She let him sleep.  
"Good morning," Erica met Lindsay on the stairs and they hugged briefly. Then she looked at her with wide eyes. "Is something wrong?", Lindsay asked confused.  
"You're pregnant!", Erica cried enthusiastically.  
"What?", Lindsay sounded horrified, "I am not ... So, at least I should know about it."  
"Maybe you haven´t noticed any signs," she waved her off, "But I have the eye for it. Congratulations. Does Connor already know?"  
"No ... Yes ... No ... I mean, will you tell him?" Lindsay was not sure, but she did not manage to contradict Connors mother.  
"No! I'll give him a piece of my mind and ask him, why he hadn´t told me that on the phone... See you later, Lindsay! ", Erica waved and walked back down. Lindsay heard her say, she was going to tell Connors father the good news and for a moment Lindsay didn´t know what to do. Then she knew: She ran up the stairs again, hoping Connor had not started to the tennis match with Thomas. She opened the door and rushed into the room.  
"Good morning," Connor said to her, and looked for his tennis racket.  
"Hi. We have a problem: Your mother thinks I'm pregnant."  
"What?", He sounded shocked and wanted to know how it came about. Lindsay reported the meeting on the stairs and Erica had pulled that assertion practically out of a hat. "The worst thing is," Lindsay graduated from her story, "She is already on her way to tell the good news to your father."  
In the same time, they sat on the sofa on which Connor had slept last night.  
"How will we get out of this?", he asked slightly shocked. He had not intended to implicate Lindsay in this thing and now they both were the middle of it. Thanks to his mother, it would also develop a certain momentum. He saw it coming now that all his relatives congratulated to the non-existent child.  
"We simply do nothing and say in a few months that we split ..."  
"This will not work," said Connor, "She will insist she can see her grandchild anyway."  
"And when we tell her in a couple of weeks I´ve lost the baby?"  
"Then she will want a funeral. My mother is a strict Catholic."  
"Your mother makes it very hard," Lindsay thought, "I will think about it." They heard a knock at the door and it was Thomas, who wanted to pick up Connor for the tennis match. "See you this evening," they said goodbye to each other and Connor left.

On the same evening was Melanie's bachelor party and Erica had already told all the guests Connor would soon be a father. He and Lindsay received all the congratulations and they couldn´t contradict one single time. Erica would be deeply disappointed when she found out she would get no other grandchild and when she found out Connor and Lindsay were not a couple at all. Before the party started she had let them know she was very happy that Connor had found the one before Erica lost her fight against cancer.  
They all had fun at the party and Melanie´s college friends had the idea to kidnap the bride and her future husband had to find them. So they drove off. Thomas had ten minutes to give and then he started the search for his future wife.  
Peace returned, as the couple and their friends had left the stud farm for the game and Connor sat down next to Lindsay. "How long will they be on the road now?"  
"That depends on how quickly Thomas finds her," said Connor, "Come, let's go for a walk.." He took her hand and together they walked through the garden behind the main house. Numerous solar lights lit up their way and led them to a small group of trees and then to a water.  
The stud farm adjacent to a lake and Lindsay discovered the little boat house.  
"What's in there?" She asked as she boldly up to the wooden house.  
"The yacht and a pair of my father's boats, which he has built," he watched as she whirled the key in the lock and she entered. Through the open door the moon shone and lit up the interior. She could see the small sailing yacht, which Connor had had spoken of. Slowly she walked toward the small boat. It rocked gently in the water.  
"Seems as if your father thought not of locking up the boat house," she said as she walked along the jetty.  
"Well, the lake is private property," he replied, "It does not make sense to steal the ship."  
"You can steal the ship also...", suddenly she cried softly and disappeared out of his view. Connor ran across the dock and at the end he saw she had fallen and landed in a small rowboat. "My goodness, Lindsay ... Are you hurt?"  
"No," she said, reaching for his hand, which he reached out to her. He also lost the balance: the wooden board, on which he stood, was not fastened properly. Connor almost landed on her and she laughed softly. Then she paused again for breath, as she realized how close they were and she was caught by his eyes again. She opened her mouth to say something, when he laid his hands on her cheeks and looked at her.  
"Is this..."  
"You want to know if this is a place where we can be alone?", asked Connor and couldn´t stop looking at her. She nodded wordlessly.  
"At this daytime, yes," he replied and started to kiss her in the same way as he did it last night in their room, unless more intimate. His hands were on tour and Lindsay's skin burned in the places where he touched her. Almost gently, he pushed one of the straps of her black dress from her shoulder.  
Together they sank back into the little boat and followed their feelings that night…

Lindsay was cold when she woke up next morning. She lay next to Connor and he was still asleep. A red blanket warmed their bodies and she noticed they lay still in the small rowboat, which rocked quietly on the water. Lindsay looked up and saw the thick mist which lay over the lake. It was promised to be a beautiful, warm day. In the distance she heard a duck quacking.  
She remembered of what had happened last night. It was no longer a game. She had been in love with Connor for so long and to be here with him was the fulfillment of her dreams.  
Delighted, she raised her hand and stroked Connors cheek. He immediately opened his eyes and looked at her. "Hey, darling," he whispered, "How long have you been awake?"  
"I've just woken up. What about you?"  
"I could not go to sleep. I was afraid all this is not reality and if I fall asleep, I wake up next morning alone and find out that I've only dreamed of you."  
"Have you ever dreamed of me before?", she smiled.  
"Yes, of course." Connor kissed her and she enjoyed it. The first rays of sunlight flitted over the lake.  
"Your family is very friendly. I think it's not okay to lie to your mother", slowly Lindsay came in bad conscience.  
"Well, at least in one case we´re not longer telling lies to them, right?" He looked at her and she nodded in agreement. Connor was relieved, because if she would have said no, he would have had no idea how he should fade away last night.  
"But you were a good mother," he added then.  
"You only say that because..."  
"No, that's not true."  
"We nearly fulfilled your mother´s desire last night more than one time. She already got a grandchild. Melanie's daughter ... ", as she said it, she reminded at the wedding and she cast a quick glance at her watch. "Oh my God! The Wedding! We have to get dressed". She was looking for her dress.  
"Don´t move too hectic. Not that you fall into the water. That's pretty cold."  
"Alls," she murmured and kissed him one last time before they got dressed and went back to the main house. The fog was even in the garden, but at the large pavilion where Melanie wedding should happen, it was already gone. Connor and Lindsay appeared for breakfast then they went to their room to prepare for the wedding.

It was a beautiful wedding and then Melanie and Thomas opened the dance. They danced a waltz and Allie was sitting on Lindsay´s lap when she watched her mother and her new father dancing. "Are you and Uncle Connor going back home?", Allie wanted to know.  
"Yes. We don´t live here, Allie. Your grandmother would be thrilled for sure if we would move in here."  
"Grandma said she wants to set up a room for the new baby."  
Lindsay's heart sank a few floors below. Erica seemed really excited by that baby-making thing. She felt sorry that Erica would not get another grandchild, at least not by Connor.  
"Hey, you two," Connor said suddenly and sat down beside her at the table. "Lindsay, can I have this dance?" Allie got up and went to her Mom, so her uncle could dance with Lindsay. She enjoyed dancing with him, snuggled up to him and said softly to him it was a wonderful weekend, but she was relieved when they were at home again. She liked Connors family too much and she hated telling lies to them. She hoped they could forgive them if this ever came to light...

Back home both weren´t able to forget this weekend. They continued spending time together and they spend the nights and their days together. Lindsay enjoyed being so close to him. It had been worth it to travel with him that weekend. He was her Prince Charming. For two months she was happy... until the day after which she woke up with nausea and she had to puke every morning. She knew what it was and that's why she bought a pregnancy test at the pharmacy. When it turned out the test was positive she was shocked and went to the pharmacy again to get three more tests. Lindsay broke into tears when all three tests were positive.  
She remembered back to the weekend of Melanie´s wedding. She immediately remembered Connors reaction in the moment in which she told him that his mother thought she was pregnant. She remembered his horrified face ... And he asked desperately, as they came out of this situation. With trembling hands she reached for a plastic rod and tried not to cry. She knew that he didn´t wanted a baby, but how should she teach him that? If they...? What would he say? Would he want to know?  
She threw all pregnancy tests in the trash and walked aimlessly through her apartment. Then she knew what she had to do.  
She sat at her computer.

"Where's Lindsay?" Connor wanted to know irritated by his team. They wanted to leave today to a client and he was worried that no one knew where Lindsay was. So he decided to go to her apartment. Meanwhile he knew where she lived and he knew himself very well in her apartment.  
"Lindsay?" He knocked impatiently at her door. When no one answered him, he stretched for the spare keys lying on the door frame. He entered and found out she was not home. The apartment was left, the plants hang the leaves at the windows. He went round the house and searched for clues why she had not come to work today. Finally he discovered a letter in her printer tray with yesterday's date. It was a letter she had not used because of a spelling error. The recipient of the letter was the OSIR headquarters and the subject of the letter was Quitting  
He put the letter into his pocket and hurried out of the apartment.

Connor was desperately looking for her. He asked Elsinger, though he knew where Lindsay was staying, but he told him he knew not more than what was standing in her quitting letter. He tried relentlessly to reach her on her mobile phone. When he called, it rang constantly. The call was never answered and never the mailbox turned on. Even with Anton and Peter she had not spoken about her cancel. They were all very surprised by this action.  
He wondered every day what could have happened. He even believed that she was kidnapped, but the dismissal proved that was not so. For some reason, Lindsay disappeared and Connor was worried: maybe something had happened to her.  
Does she have any relatives? Or siblings? Where lived her parents?  
Damn, he knew too less about the woman he loved. Did she left because of him? No, he could not imagine. Since this weekend at his parents´ stud farm they had a great time together. There was not the slightest indication that she was unhappy with him.

"How long will you sit there and stare into the cup?", asked Margret Donner and looked at her daughter. Margret lived alone in a small, modest cottage on the outskirts of the city and was very surprised when her only daughter was standing in front of her door. Lindsay was almost three hours on the road to her mother's house and she was relieved when she finally arrived, and her mother asked her to come in. Margret was delighted to see her again.  
"Sorry," came Lindsay´s toneless voice and she shook her head.  
"So, what's going on? I have not seen you a long time."  
"I know I owe you an explanation and I better tell you before you find it out by yourself... I'm pregnant."  
"My goodness," Margret beamed, "I'll be grandmother? That's wonderful! "She was happy, but Lindsay said that feeling does not exist.  
"May I stay with you for a while?" , asked Lindsay.  
"How long do you want to stay?"  
"I Don´t know ... Until the baby is born, maybe ..." Lindsay stared into the cup, which her mother had set before her. She did not know what she wanted to do when the baby was born. She could not return home, because she had ditched her job. Had demolished all the bridges behind herself… Sadly, she recognized she could never return to her old life again. She would miss her friends... And Connor ...  
Margret knew right now her daughter had a problem. "Would you like to talk about?"  
"No ... Not now. Maybe later ... "

Two months later on a Wednesday Connor was called in the middle of the night by Melanie: he should come to the hospital quickly. His mother would not look good.  
Connor arrived breathlessly at the hospital and a doctor told him that Erica lay dying. She had not told her family she already had terminal cancer and there was no hope of rescue. Melanie, Thomas, Allie and Connor's dad had already said goodbye to her. Erica was only waiting for Connor, before the pastor wanted to give her the last rites.  
He entered the room where his mother lay and sat down on a chair beside her bed. "Hi, Mom."  
The beeping of the heart-lung machine scarred him.  
"Connor," she recognized him, "Where's Lindsay?"  
"She is not here," he whispered, and his mother coughed: "I can see that!"  
"Mom, I have to confess something. You shall know I'm sorry, but I do not want you ... Well, I would like to clear up this lie: Lindsay and I were not a couple. That means, we were not at least as we have shown up on Melanie's wedding," he admitted," She was also not pregnant."  
"I know", came from Erica, "Connor, I'm not stupid. I know you both were not a couple, when you arrived. But Melanie's wedding ... When you danced... Connor, it's the way she looked at you. She loves you, I'm sure."  
"Mom, she left. She disappeared two months ago and I cannot find her. I do not know where she is and how she is and that makes me insane."  
"You have to find her."  
"I was searching everywhere. She don´t answers her cell phone and I don´t even know her relatives."  
"Are you scared?", asked Erica, "Gosh, there is no wonder she ran away from you ... I haven´t raised you and your sister as giving up people. If you love Lindsay, you have to fight for her. Love is a battlefield, you know? Connor, I want you to find her. How it goes on, I leave you two."  
Suddenly, the heart-lung machine began to whistle at her side. It gave an equally long tone and even before Connor had jumped up from his chair, a doctor and two nurses rushed into the room. The latter sent him out.  
"Connor?", Melanie sounded very worried when her brother came out of the hospital room. They had obviously seen how excited the doctor was.  
They had to wait another twenty minutes, then the doctor came out of Erica's room. He expressed his condolences to them ...

Away from the funeral in the Doyle family, Margret Donner was up that night because she couldn´t sleep and once she walked past the guest room. She heard Lindsay sobbing and when she knocked softly on the door and asked what was going on, Lindsay said, it was not her mother´s business. Lindsay was lying alone in bed, snuggled in her blanket and imagined it would be Connor, who gave her this warmth.  
She dreamed of him almost every night and about the wonderful nights they had spent together. She remembered his hands as they gently glided over her body. And she dreamed, as he kissed her tenderly and passionately at the same time. In her dream she could even smell him and his voice whispered loving words to her. She also dreamed of how they sat in their own perfect world together in front of their house and she proudly showed him the ultrasound images, while the dog, which she had bought, barked cheeky ... Mostly her dreams ended with how she held the positive pregnancy test in her hands, or how she was suddenly alone in a strange house.  
She woke up sometimes in the middle of the night and tears were running down her face. Since she was pregnant she dreamed much more intense.  
Her body and her soul cried painful for him. She loved him, she missed him. She wanted to go home again, to go back to Connor but what if he did not want the baby at all?  
Her four-month belly was now considerable. And she felt as if she would be thicker every day. The skin on the belly itched constantly. So she could no longer hide the pregnancy...  
Her mother had persuaded many times to her that she should not hide with her and when her partner don't wanted to have her and the baby he should jump in a lake! Margret thought, Lindsay hadn´t to cope with that task alone. She raised Lindsay up alone after her husband thought he need to cheat her with his secretary, they got divorced and left her. When this happened, Lindsay was eight years old and since that Lindsay had not seen her father. Margret remembered very well she needed sometimes three jobs to feed her daughter. She wanted a better life for Lindsay. Lindsay deserved it, to be happy. Even if she was not the same opinion.  
She had to talk again to her daughter, because that was her grandkid, for whose welfare she had to care. Margret gave Lindsay pancakes for breakfast, but she did not eat. Lindsay actually looked very unhappy and the grief was written in her face.  
"You know, Lindsay. Your father and I also had problems", Margret began.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, when we were in love very much, we wanted to have a baby and tried it again and again ..."  
"Mom ..."  
"And finally it has worked, as you know. We had to try to become pregnant."  
"I don´t understand what you want. I haven´t tried to get a baby."  
"But you wished. And that night you have admitted it."  
"Are you saying I wanted to become pregnant on purpose?"  
"No, but ..." Margret got up, "But ... That's no solution, Lindsay. You cannot force your child growing up without a father ... Your friend is the father, right? ... Do I get at least an answer? Is it this Connor, of who you speak often?", she asked and Lindsay raised her head. This gave her mother confirmation.  
"He don´t wants the baby, right?"  
"He knows nothing about it. I don´t even told him where I am..." Now, Lindsay told her how they had spent a view days at his parents farm and how he had reacted when his mother put the news into the world that another grandchild was on the way. Margret listened to the whole story and nodded, as Lindsay was done.  
"You know my opinion," she said to her, "No matter what you think you deserve to be happy. If your child and Connor mean something to you, you should call him and end your suffering. I can imagine he suffers the same."

But Margret found out, Lindsay had not called him. She made her lunch, but Lindsay did not have a bite of it.  
Margret could stand no longer to see her daughter like this. She did not eat any more, lay on some days in bed and drew more and more. Although she tried to talk to her, but Lindsay did not want to hear it. Margret shook her head sadly. It was not good for her! And certainly not for her baby!  
Margret guessed that Lindsay loved the father of the baby very much and the distance between them broke her heart. But who to ask if this was true? After all, she did not know the friends and colleagues of her daughter.  
On the way into the kitchen, Margret pasted the pantry on which were Lindsay's car keys. Next to her car key was a cell phone and Margret stopped. May she ...?  
She walked a few steps back, took the phone and checked the phone book. The names were in alphabetical order: Anton Hendricks, Claire Davisson, Connor, Peter Axon, Sandra Miles and some more. Margret came to the conclusion she necessarily had to call Connor. It was only the best. For Lindsay and for the baby...  
Margret pressed the call button and heard two tones on the line.  
"Lindsay?" The voice at the other end of the line had apparently recognized the number.  
"Hi, this is Margret. Are you Connor? ", Asked Margret and she heard a disappointed breathing.  
"Yes, I'm Connor. How can I help you, Margret?"  
"It's about Lindsay. She is here with me. I'm her mother."  
His heart skipped a beat. He had sought for so long and was about to give up. Now he received a sign from her mother. "Listen, Connor, I cannot bear how unhappy Lindsay is without you. You should come by quickly."  
He asked for her address. Before their conversation was ended Margret added, "And you better bring her a great gift. She is pregnant and it is your baby."

After this conversation nothing held him at home. He flew on the same day to the city where her mother lived, rented a car and drove to the house. During the flight he had tried to imagine how she looked like now. If he could see that she was pregnant? At the thought of his baby his heart hopped and he was pretty nervous. He wanted a family, of course but at some point he realized he would never find a woman who was willing to endure his constant travels for the OSIR. But for Lindsay, he would even be willing to give up ... If she still wanted him… Suddenly he was thinking about things that recently seemed so unattainable. He thought he would tell her she should be reasonable and come back. Finally, they were expecting a baby! And he would ask what occurred to her at all to deny his own child to him and what she had thought of...?  
Margret had told him on the phone Lindsay used to walk at noon and he arrived when she was not home.  
"So, you are Connor," said Margret surprised, after he had rung her door bell, "you have come really fast." Connor seemed to be very nice and Margret thought he looked very good. She was not surprised at all her daughter had succumbed to his charm.  
"Is it true that Lindsay ...?"  
"Yes, it is true."  
"When will she come back?"  
"She started walking an hour ago, so she will be here soon. How long have you and Lindsay been a couple?"  
"Before she ran away, about two months. Then she disappeared without a trace." Now, he knew, why.  
"Do you think you are in the position to take care of her and the child? Don´t get me wrong, but I want to make sure Lindsay and my grandchild will not want for something."  
"I promise I will take care of both."  
"Will you marry her?"  
"If Lindsay would like to ..."  
Margret now stretched to the window and discovered her daughter already out there on the sidewalk. Connor also got up and saw her. Hastily he went outside and he hesitated for a second when he noticed her belly. It was true: She was actually pregnant, and she looked beautiful. Her hair was longer and she wore it in a ponytail.  
Lindsay stopped as she saw Connor. She held her breath. She had envisioned what would be when he suddenly stood before her and what she would tell him. Now, she wasn´t able to speak a word.  
Meanwhile, Connor was standing right in front of her and gently grabbed her hands. He had worked out on the plane what to say, but he had forgotten it at this moment, when he had seen her again. Never again he would let her go.  
Lindsay took some courage and looked at him. "Connor, I ... I need to tell you something."  
"That you are pregnant? I already know. Your mother told me. I am looking forward to have a baby."  
She wanted to say more, but it did not help because Connor tenderly petted her cheek and kissed her lovingly. Margret watched the scene on her porch happily.  
Connor ended the kiss and touched her stomach. "Lindsay, how are you? ... And the baby? Is everything all right?"  
"Yes, we are fine."  
"Why haven´t you told me…?"  
"When your mother started with this whole baby- thing, you felt very uncomfortable and ... When I realized our nights are not remained without consequences, I realized you are not ready for ..."  
"Honey, I'm ready," he assured her, "I'm certainly not one of those men who run away from their responsibilities. My goodness, you have no idea how much I've missed you ... Honey, what can I do to convince you I really want you and the baby?"  
"Nothing," her voice trembled and she hated herself she would begin to cry in happiness every moment, "You came here because of me. I missed you, too."  
Her head fell against his shoulder and she began to sob. It was almost worse when he asked in a whisper, to come back home with him because he needed her and loved her. She nodded in agreement and wiped away the tears. She laid her hand also on her stomach. She had just felt a slight movement in her belly. This was the first time the baby had moved.  
Margret was still standing on the porch and watched them. She never saw her daughter so happy for a long time. So it was right to call Connor and ask him to come.  
"How is your mother?", asked Lindsay and Connor looked sad for a moment.  
"She's dead," his voice was very quiet, "before she died, she said I need to find you... I love you."  
"I love you, too. But I must tell you something", Lindsay began and hugged him tighter, "I haven´t told anyone else."  
"Whatever you want ..."  
"We´ll have twins."

Fin


	2. The only one

Title: The Only One  
German Title: Liebe auf Umwegen 2  
Author: DancingStar  
Pairing: Connor / Lindsay  
Rating: 12  
Summaries: Connor and Lindsay are finally getting married.  
Comments: I can´t believe that I wrote a part of this story (secretly) in my office at work! It was so boring last Monday and I had nothing to do. Every time when someone came in, I had to open another program and act like very busy. But actually it was very funny...  
By the way: Happy new year!

_**The Only One **_

On a sunny Saturday morning, Lindsay waited impatiently for the arrival of her mother. She couldn´t even believe that finally the weekend came, when she and Connor wanted to get married. They now had two charming children and nothing could complete their happiness more than a wedding in this beautiful place.  
Her mother had promised to appear, but Lindsay was waiting now for half an hour. After all, her mother´s car appeared. Margret got out and hugged her daughter. "Lindsay! How are you?... You look so great! It fits you to be a mother."  
"Thanks Mom"  
"And now tell me, where are the children? I have not seen Evan and Erica since their birth", Margret was eager to see her grandchildren again. Hard to believe, the two were already half a year old. Because Margret and Lindsay lived nearly 1,000 miles apart from each other, they didn´t meet often.  
"They´re sleeping at the moment, but I might need a little help", with that Lindsay suggested to look after the children. On the way to the nursery room they met Connor and Margret hugged him, too.  
"For what was that?", asked Connor.  
"For making my daughter so happy. She´s out of all recognition. Thank you."  
"You're welcome. It´s a mutual feeling", he kissed Lindsay in passing and apologized to her his father just needed help.  
Then Lindsay and Margret went up the broad staircase to the twin´s room. "I bought a very sweet dress for Erica. She could wear it on your wedding", Margret said enthused.  
"She is only six months old."  
"So what?... Have you recovered from birth?"  
"Don´t remind me", Lindsay smiled. This was terrible pain and once, during a contraction, she yelled at Connor, she wouldn´t allow him to touch her ever again. When she then held Erica in her arms and after three more hours Evan, she forgave him with a kiss and said she would do it again at any time.  
Margret noticed Lindsay was still wearing a special ring on her finger. "You can´t drop the ring, right?", she asked and Lindsay stopped in front of the door to the nursery room and nodded.  
"Yes," she looked down at the ring with a light blue diamond, "I haven´t known Connor's mother for a long time, but without her I maybe wouldn´t be here."  
The ring she wore on her finger, was the engagement ring of his mother and Lindsay remembered exactly the day when he had asked her if she wanted to become his wife: It was a cold Sunday morning in early December and on that day it was so snowy that even the traffic in the city stood still. They slept late, almost until noon. Connor got up to make a late breakfast. They were just moved in together and because they couldn´t agree, if Lindsay´s or Connors apartment was larger for a family, they decided to find a brand new home. It was nice, it was on the third floor of a house, had a great kitchen and more than enough rooms. They were almost set up. Only the rooms of their unborn children weren´t ready yet. Only the painting of the yellow walls was done and the carpet was laid. But the furniture had already been ordered.  
They ate breakfast in bed and she smiled. "You spoil me too much," she said.  
"Because you deserve it," he replied, "Both of us will soon have no time to enjoy our togetherness."  
"It takes almost two months until the children will be born."  
"Exactly. This is the reason why you should take a look at this package."  
Lindsay had not realized the small gift on the breakfast tray. Nevertheless she opened it and looked at him in amazement. "Oh god, this is...", she couldn´t speak.  
"An engagement ring, I know... That means, if you still want me after everything what had happened."  
Her answer was a rousing kiss. Of course she wanted to marry him and they should not lose any time. So they got married before the children´s birth. The ceremony at the civil registry office was very nice but secretly Lindsay had always wished to marry the man of her dreams in a beautiful garden, in a beautiful dress and with a great party. So Connor's father suggested they should marry again in July and they had invited the whole family and their best friends to the horse breeding farm. It was the perfect place to get married.

Peter and Claire arrived at the house. Claire was astonished when she saw the stud farm for the first time. "My goodness, this is not a house that is a castle... Hi, Connor," she said when she and Peter saw him and she could not stop staring at the large building. They all were looking forward to the wedding. Anton would arrive today evening.  
"Hey, Connor! Well, where is the bride?", asked Peter.  
"She is with Evan and Erica."  
"Can we visit them later?", Claire asked excitedly, "I haven´t seen the twins since their birth."  
Connor agreed, they would visit the twins later, but first they discovered a black Rolls Royce, which slowed down in front of the house. A butler opened the car door for a woman.  
"Who is that?", asked Peter.  
"This is my grandmother Kathryn. She´s already over 90 years old", said Connor and together they walked toward the black car which was parked in front of the house. "Mom!", said Connor's father and he hugged his mother, "Nice you came... Did you had a good journey?"  
"Yes, I had," Kathryn was in very good mood today and now she turned around to Connor, "I can´t believe you´re getting married! Where is your wife? It must be very hard for her to marry in this terrible heat and also heavily pregnant!"  
"Connor, help James to take the luggage of your grandmother into the house!", his father suggested and then turned back to his mother, "Connor and Lindsay are having two six months old babies. We sent photos, remember?", he had actually told her this on the phone for several times but unfortunately his mother forgot a lot of things again, "Although they are already married, we are celebrating a big wedding. "  
Now Allie came to them and she stopped next to her great-grandmother.  
"My God! You are already so large", said Kathryn to Allie, "How you and your brother should fit in the stretch-suits, which I bought?"  
"Grandma, this is Allie," Melanie said to her grandmother and put her arms around Allie's shoulders, "Allie is my daughter."  
"No one tells me something!", Kathryn sounded horrified.  
"But Grandma, you know Allie!"  
"Melanie," her father said quietly to her, "Calm down. In half an hour she has forgotten everything." Then he turned to his mother. "What do you think, do you want to meet Lindsay?", he asked and Kathryn was thrilled by this idea. So they set off together into the house, where Lindsay just took care about Erica and Evan. She was glad finally get to know a part of Connor's family. Her own grandparents already died and her mother was the only person she had expected for the wedding.  
With an "Excuse me for a moment" Melanie left, while her grandmother had baby Evan in her arms. They didn´t stay long with the babies, cause soon Evan began to cry.  
"What´s wrong with him?", Kathryn asked worried and Lindsay took the baby.  
"He is tired. He had a light sleep last night." She put Evan back in the cradle and everybody left the nursery room quietly. With an empty bottle in her hand, Lindsay made her way to the kitchen. She wanted to give away the bottle so the kitchen help could sterilize it, then she wanted to see how far the gardener had been with the decoration.  
She passed Melanie's room.  
"Lindsay, would you please come in," Melanie sounded so serious. But Lindsay entered the room in which Connors sister lived. On the bed lay a great box. "I've brought you something from New York. As you know, it´s Fashion Week in September", said Melanie. She worked as a fashion designer and she knew a few quite important people.  
"The package is for you," Melanie pointed to the gift, "Would you like to open it?"  
Lindsay pulled on a bow and opened the package. "My God," she whispered as she opened the box and grabbed for a dress. She was speechless.  
"I hope you still need a wedding dress. My friend Vera would be disappointed if you don´t wear it."  
"My goodness," she really couldn´t say more. The dress was made for a princess: it consisted of a beautiful strapless satin corset and a floor-length skirt made of glittering tulle. The dress had a train and Melanie's friend Vera had even designed a matching veil.  
"I can´t accept this," Lindsay said finally.  
"Of course you can!"  
"I mean, I've actually chosen a dress, but that's not as nice."  
"As your wedding planner, I advise you to wear it!", Melanie grinned. It was decided that Lindsay would wear this dress. She already liked it.  
"Now come on, we have a lot to do today!"

"Sorry, we don´t know anyone with that name," Thomas said to a strange man who appeared at the door. They discussed if the man was allowed to come in or not. Now also Connor pasted the door and Thomas stopped him.  
"Hey, Connor. Do you know who that is?", asked Thomas.  
"No, unfortunately not," Connor discovered his wife on the stairs and came to her to meet her, "What? You´re shining suddenly", he noted.  
"I have just received a very nice wedding present," she told him and kissed him.  
"She knows me!," said the man suddenly. He had seen Lindsay on the stairs. The stranger pushed Thomas away and entered the house.  
"No, I don´t know who you are," Lindsay said, confused.  
"Lindsay, come on! It´s me... Dad!"

"What occurs to him?", Margret Donner was close to madness. She hadn´t seen her ex-husband since 28 years when he left her for his secretary. And now he had the nerve to show up here unannounced.  
"More importantly, how he even knew about it?", asked Melanie.  
"The newspaper advertisement," said Connor's father. He had placed a small ad in the newspaper and he could have no idea that Lindsay's father had ended just in his area after Margret was still living on the other side of the country after the divorcement from her husband.  
Worried Connor grabbed his wife´s hand. "Will you cope with this?", he asked and she nodded.  
"I think so. I mean he´s my father... I haven´t seen him for a very long time."  
"I don´t think he has changed a lot", Margret fulminated, "You're probably not missing much."  
Melanie leaned against the door and looked at the corridor, where William Donner looked out the window, which offered a great view to the large garden. The uninvited guest worried her because Lindsay's father had invited himself. Melanie insisted that he went to the hotel and she would tell him this as soon as the meeting was over. She didn´t want to have this strange person in her father´s house.  
"Do you want to know him?", Connor suddenly asked and Lindsay was surprised by this question.  
"I don´t know...", she admitted.  
"I think it can´t hurt to talk to him." He smiled at her and she nodded.  
Margret was less enthusiastic about this idea. She rolled her eyes and walked out. Melanie followed her. When Lindsay's father wanted to join at the wedding, he should at least take his bag and stay at the Hotel...!

Because Connor was the opinion she should talk with her father, Lindsay and he took a walk through the garden behind the house in the afternoon. The sun was shining and it was pleasantly warm.  
"Are you still together with...?", She didn´t had the heart to ask him that because she believed it would hurt her mother when she learned about it.  
"Her name is Natasha and yes, we are still together. I've even got married... You have a younger half-sister and half brother by the way."  
Lindsay noticed it with a nod.  
William Donner suddenly asked: "He treats you well?"  
"Very well. He is very honest, sensitive, responsible and loving. He is a family man. He's a great father and he anticipates all my wishes." Her eyes sparkled when she spoke about him.  
"Sounds like he´s terribly boring."  
"He is not! He is not like ...", she hesitated.  
"Like me, right? This is what you wanted to say."  
Lindsay stopped now on the narrow gravel road and looked at him. "What shall I think about you, in your opinion?", she asked, "I don´t even know you! You are gone out of my life when I was eight years old! And no, Connor is not a bit like you! If he were like you, I would never marry him! "  
She walked away angrily.  
"I'm sorry," William said resilient, "I shouldn´t have said this. It was very tactless... Lindsay, I won´t spoil you this weekend. Finally I came to walk down the aisle with my oldest daughter."  
"What?"  
"You think I'm here for nothing?", he asked, "I want to take part of your life and I know I missed a lot. Maybe I can make it up so and see my grandchildren growing up."  
Inwardly Lindsay made three signs of the cross that she and Connor lived far away from here and so they hadn´t to meet William Donner often.  
"That's nice, but ...", she was looking for the right words, "That's a little bit too fast. You can´t just show up after so many years and require that you are immediately re-integrated into my life. I don´t even know you!", she repeated.  
"Then ask me whatever you want," they went a little further and saw how the family gathered on the terrace for a cup of coffee. Grandmother Kathryn was a in a good mood.  
"What´s your regular occupation?", she asked.  
"I have my own company."  
"And what kind of company?"  
"I'll tell you another time. Your family is waiting for us." In fact, the family already sat at the table and talked about the wedding. Peter and Claire were set off to see the area.  
Lindsay took place next to Connor and took Evan on her arm, her father sat next to Margret, which didn´t deign to look at him. "Have I already told you I walk down the aisle with Lindsay tomorrow?", William asked his ex-wife.  
"No, you don't!", said Margret shocked and looked at Lindsay.  
"Mom, don´t believe him!"  
Connor's Dad saved the day, because he realized that Margret and William started a fight. "Lindsay, would you like to have a coach tomorrow?", he asked.  
"But it's not worth it. The wedding will take place in the garden."  
"If you change your mind, we can harness our two white Arabian mares."  
"Thanks, that's nice."  
"It´s unfortunately too late for the fortune teller," Melanie poured herself a cup of coffee, "And Madame Fortune is really good..."  
"Yes, if Mom would have meet her a bit earlier and she had told her earlier she suffered on cancer, Mom might be still alive now," said Connor and Lindsay looked at him anxiously.  
Melanie apologized for that remark, she turned to her grandmother. "Grandma, can you still remember how we went to the sea every summer when Connor and I were kids?"  
While Melanie and her grandmother talked about the sea, Lindsay picked up warm milk from the kitchen for her babies.  
Grandmother Kathryn raised her head. "I´ve never spend a holiday at the sea."  
"But Grandma, we have used to life in your and Grandpas summer house! Don´t tell me you can´t remember!"  
"I would know about it! I'm not senile!", then Lindsay passed Kathryn and the old grandma asked: "Miss, would you please bring me another piece of cake?"  
"Grandma, that's not a waitress! This is Lindsay, Connors wife!"  
They brought the tea behind them and Melanie was relieved when Grandmother Kathryn had gone to her room. On the way home they met Anton. Finally, the last guest had arrived now...!

By late afternoon everybody they met for a dancing lesson in the empty dining room of the house. The furniture was already outside in the garden because it was needed for the wedding. Connor's Dad had specially hired a dancing teacher who should teach them a few dancing steps. Finally, his son shouldn´t be embarrassed when he was dancing with his wife.  
While Connor and Lindsay were dancing and flirting with each other, Claire watched them and she said to Peter: "I envy Lindsay."  
Peter did not understand what she meant.  
"She has found someone who loves her unconditionally. They started a family..."  
"Sounds like your biological clock is ticking?"  
Claire was horrified by so much tactlessness. She looked at him in disgust and then went out of the hall. "What have you told her?", asked Melanie, who danced over to Peter and she did not even wait for an answer, "If Claire doesn´t want to be maid of honor now, I'll kill YOU!"  
The dancing teacher said goodbye to them, wished them a nice ceremony and the dancing lesson was over. "Shall we go out for dinner yet?", Melanie wanted to know, grabbed Thomas' arm.  
"Why?", Lindsay was a little skeptical.  
"Because of the 24 hour- rule. You aren´t allowed to see each other 24 hours before the wedding", Melanie said this very enthusiastically, but had forgotten that she hadn´t considered it. And Lindsay already hated this stupid 24 hour- rule.

In the evening they met for a kind of sleepover party in Lindsay's room. "Lindsay, why don´t we have a big, loud bachelorette party?", Claire asked grouching and Melanie replied, laughing: "Because our dear grandmother Kathryn has a light sleep and we have to be quiet therefore!", while she was getting a new glass of champagne she danced. "What are Connor, Peter and Thomas doing?", asked Claire.  
"No idea! I have them told them to go to town, drink a few beers and stay away from the strippers!", Melanie drank already the third glass of champagne, "But Anton is certainly paying attention."  
Lindsay couldn´t imagine Connor would do such a thing.  
"No, No, No! We don´t speak about the men!", called Claire and she drank a glass, "What about the honeymoon?" When Connors and Lindsay's civil wedding took place, she was eight months pregnant and they had no time for honeymoon. Finally the nursery rooms had to be done.  
"We're traveling to Acapulco in Mexico. Evan and Erica stay with Melanie in this time and my mom helps her. She stays here for another week... I already know I will miss my two honeys incredibly, but it's only for one week and I am pleased to spend some time with Connor alone."  
"What is Melanie's gift?"  
"Melanie gave me a beautiful wedding dress by Vera Wang!"  
"You lucky one! I know a lot of women who would kill someone for such a dress." Claire now thought her gift looked really puny.  
Melanie looked down at her mobile phone. As a wedding planner she had got her hands full and it was normal she still received a text message.  
"See you, I have something to do", Melanie got up. She didn´t want to worry Lindsay, by telling her that she had to start driving so late to pick up the wedding cake. Unfortunately, the baker couldn´t finish the cake until this morning.  
Claire and Lindsay were now alone and because Erica was crying a bit in her crib, Lindsay took her daughter in her arms.  
"Would you help me, please?" Lindsay handed Erica to Claire and told her to sit with the baby on the bed. Lindsay then took her son in her arms and sat down next to Claire. "What's wrong with you?", asked Lindsay. She had noticed long before that something was wrong.  
"I've been thinking... When you came back from your mother after two months and you were pregnant, that was for me like...", Claire was looking for the right words.  
"I know how hard it is, if your best friend is pregnant," said Lindsay and Claire was surprised, "Before I started the OSIR my best friend told me that she is expecting a baby and for me it was like a slap in the face. Suddenly I realized I would like to have a family, too." She paused briefly and looked into the face of her sleeping baby. "But waiting for Connor was worth it. I´ve never regretted that decision." When Lindsay said this, she sounded very happy.  
"I wish I could have such a special person..."  
"Sounds like you had already found one."  
Uncomfortable silence. "Do I know him?" ,asked Lindsay and Claire didn´t answer. Suddenly, it fell like scales from Lindsay´s eyes: "Peter? Is it Peter?", She almost screamed but had to calm down because Evan was sleeping in her arms.  
"Don´t tell him!" warned Claire, "It's bad enough he´s thinking I´m an old grandma who hears the ticking of her biological clock."  
"Did he say that?"  
"Yes." Claire sounded almost a little sad and when she had said this, Lindsay's mother entered the room. She asked if they have had a good time tonight. "As best as we can, if Grandmother Kathryn wants to sleep", Lindsay rolled her eyes.  
"If you don´t mind, I take Evan and Erica with me now. So you can get sleep for tomorrow," said Margret. She was also convinced that Connor and Lindsay wanted to spend their wedding night alone. Therefore, Evan and Erica stayed in her room today and tomorrow night. Margret first took Erica and then Evan in her arms.  
"Say Good night to your Mommy," she whispered to the twins and went out with them. Then also Claire said goodbye.  
Lindsay asked what she should do now to pass the time. It was too early to go to sleep. She sat down on her bed when she heard how a small stone flew against her window. And then another. She went to the window, opened it and looked out. Lindsay saw Connor sitting on a black thoroughbred horse and he looked up to her. "Good evening, pretty princess," he said, "Let your hair down to me."  
She laughed. "Where did you get the horse from?", She asked, shaking her head. He was really a prince charming...  
Connor dismounted and then climbed on ladder to the tree that stood next to the house. Lindsay actually had thought he would go out with Peter, Anton and Thomas.  
"Honey, what are you doing out there?", she asked, laughing.  
"Come out," he whispered as he sat at last on the flat roof of the house.  
"Come in," she giggled, grabbed his hands and helped him through the window in her room.  
"No one tells me what I can do in the evening one day before my wedding. We also had to go back because the good Thomas was thrown out of a bar because he was already too drunk", said Connor and began to kiss her, "Where are the children?"  
"With my mother," she said. Then she pulled her shirt over her head, threw it away carelessly, while they kissed passionately and she stood only in underwear in front of him. "Honey, I've been missing you so much", he murmured and she smiled: "Yes? I already noticed."  
Connor took her to bed, put her down when suddenly someone knocked at the door. "Lindsay, you are there?... Come on, I know you're here!", Melanie cried indignantly, "Connor is with you! I know he is here, his car is back at the door... Now open!"  
"You better do what she says," suggested Connor and handed her the shirt, "I disappear before my sister beats me down." Connor climbed through the window while Lindsay got dressed and walked to the door.  
"Connor isn´t here," she said to Melanie, who put her hands on her hips.  
"I don´t believe you. I know he was here. Where else could he be?"  
"No idea, but he isn´t here."  
"Awesome", muttered Melanie and she left, "Then I'll go, get the cake."

"How are you today, Thomas?", Connor asked his brother-in-law next morning. Thomas held his aching head and said: "Please stop screaming." He had a hangover.  
"Do you have the rings?", asked Connor.  
"Sure."  
"I hope you are fit, if my wife and I are walking down the aisle, later."  
"I can´t promise," said Thomas and poured another cup of coffee to himself. He noted that Connor left the kitchen and he asked him where he wanted to go. "Dad wants to see me," Connor told. He knew Thomas had received an order by Melanie to take care that he wouldn´t sidle to Lindsay. As he knew Thomas already failed yesterday miserably.  
Connor was on his way to the office of his father and he even came to the room which Melanie used as her office. As a fashion designer she had the fortune to work at home very often. She always said, the house was her inspiration and happily all of her are clothes made somewhere else. But it wasn´t Melanie, who was in office and phoned, it was Lindsay's father.  
"...I told you, I'll get the money... No, I haven´t asked my daughter, but I will come up with an idea... Don´t worry, she's a smart kid. If she wants to help her father, she will do that", a short break and William Donner listened to his interlocutor," I also know 150,000 dollars are no small change!"  
Connor didn´t liked the look of that. He stayed in the doorway and listened to him, when William continues discusses with a stranger. Then he noticed that Connor was standing in the door and listened to him. "I call back later," said William and hung up, "Hey Connor ... How much did you hear?"  
"Enough to know why you´re here... Are you in trouble?... Or your company?"  
"No," said William, "It´s all right."  
Connor would like to believe him, but he didn´t thought it was a coincidence Lindsay's dad reappeared now. She had told him, William left her mother for his secretary when Lindsay was eight years old and since then she had not seen him. Connors Dad first had to put an ad in the newspaper that Connor and Lindsay would marry, so he showed up here without an invitation and he saw the stud farm... Connor found all fit together and he suddenly knew what William Donner actually was up to do.  
"If everything is OK, it won´t bother you when I tell my wife about this little conversation."  
Connor wanted to leave, when William Donner suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder, gave him an uppercut and then he threw his paralyzed victim in the pantry and locked the door behind him.

Melanie on the upper floor of the house knew nothing of the incident. She was already dressed and she was looking for Lindsay. She knocked on her door and entered. Lindsay was already wearing her dress was trying to finish her hair. In her dress she looked like an ice princess and Melanie knew the dress was the right decision.  
"Do you cope?", Melanie wanted to know and watched as Lindsay went to Evans cradle. Her mother was already here to pick up the twins. "Get ready," Margret said to her.  
"Come, I'll help," offered Melanie. They went into the bathroom while Margret left with Erica and Evan on her arm. Erica was actually wearing the cute gray dress with black dots, which her grandmother had bought for her.  
Lindsay sat in front of the mirror.  
"Connor will be swift of his feet when he sees you... You look really great. Do you have everything you need?", asked Melanie and Lindsay was thinking.  
"I have something new, the dress what you gave me. I have the engagement ring, the diamond is blue... It is out there on the bedside table. I shouldn´t forget the ring, later."  
"I think it also counts that it´s old," laughed Melanie and finished Lindsay´s hairdo.  
"Well, then I have three things... But I need something borrowed..."  
Melanie took a bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Lindsay. "What about this? Give it to me again after the wedding." The bracelet was beautiful. It was silver and had many small stars as pendants.  
"Thank you very much."  
"Never mind. You belong to the family." Melanie fastened the veil, said goodbye and Lindsay was left alone in the bathroom. She thought about how much she was looking forward to this day and there had been moments in which she hadn´t believed it would ever happen. But when Connor then showed up at her mother´s house and told her how much he loved her and that he needed her and the baby, from who he had known nothing until then, she was so thrilled and she knew everything would be fine. Now they are officially getting married...  
She took a deep breath, got up and left the bathroom. She saw her father standing in front of the nightstand. He held the engagement ring in his hand, examined it and then put it in his jacket pocket. He said it should be sufficient to pay his existing debt.  
"What are you doing?", Lindsay asked, "Did you stole my engagement ring?" She came up to her father, "Come on, I want my ring back."  
"It´s not what it looks like," said William.  
"What does it look like?", said Lindsay, her father suddenly grabbed her wrist and dragged her in her wedding dress through the whole house to the storage chamber in which he had locked Connor an hour earlier.  
"Go in there!", said William, opened the door to the pantry and shoved her into the room.  
He slammed the door and heard how Lindsay rattled at the door knob. But the door did not open.  
"Linds?", she suddenly heard a voice and turned around.  
"Connor? What are you doing here?", she said and hugged him.  
"The same, I guess. Your father was talking on the phone with someone, I have listened to it and when he noticed it, he knocked me almost unconscious and trapped me here."  
"Are you hurt?"  
"No," he replied, "If I'm lucky, it´s not even a black eye... What do we do now? The door can´t be opened from inside."  
When he spoke, she remembered she wore her wedding dress and he wasn´t allowed to see her. "Fortunately we are already married," she tried to smile, "Then it´s no big deal if we miss this wedding."  
"I don´t believe you."  
She was a little bit embarrassed that he had caught her. "What about Betty?", she said, "She could hear us if she´s working in the kitchen."  
"No, she's already out there at the buffet ... We can only wait until someone finds us."

Half an hour later Claire decided to visit Lindsay once again in her room and wish her all the best. But Lindsay's room was empty and she began to look for her in the whole house. She didn´t answer the phone.  
"We have a problem," said Claire horrified to Melanie, "Lindsay left, She isn´t in her room."  
"What?" Melanie in the garden was very busy with refer the guests to their seats. She had no time for a missing bride.  
Now Peter showed up. "I can´t find Connor. Do you know where he is?", asked Peter and Melanie said: "I don´t know!" Then she gave Peter her cell phone. "Here, try to reach him."  
Peter rolled his eyes. He already had the same idea, to call Connor on the phone. If he didn´t answer the phone when Peter tried to reach Connor, why should he answer when his sister tried to call him?  
"Damn, I can´t believe the two run away together," Claire murmured in the background. Of course, Melanie noted Peter´s hesitation. "Now do it! Call him! ", Melanie sounded very impatient. Peter was trying to reach Connor. He did not know that Connor's cell phone was in his room on the bed and rang ignored to itself...

Disappointed, Lindsay sat next to Connor on the floor of the pantry and leaned her head on his shoulder. "What do you think, how long we have to stay here?", she asked.  
"Depends on when they find us... But if you want something to eat, I found some last year´s Christmas cookies on the shelf... You could also eat onions and peppers."  
She laughed when he said this. Then she began to sob.  
"Honey?", Connor put his arm around her, "Are you disappointed because..."  
"That's not... I was in my room and when I came out of the bathroom, I actually needed only your mother´s ring and I saw how my father was standing in my room, examined the ring and said something how the value of the ring should suffice to pay his debts. Then he put the ring in his pocket and when I wanted my ring back, he locked up here. He still has the ring. I'm sorry, honey. I know how much it meant to you."  
"Honey, it doesn´t matter," he reassured her, gave her a kiss on the forehead and swayed her gently back and forth. Suddenly he heard a muffled voice outside the door. Connor asked her if she had heard that, too, and she nodded. He got up and knocked on the door.  
Peter was a bit confused when he heard the pounding and he tried to open the door, but it did not work. "The door is locked!", said Peter. Melanie noticed him and came to him.  
"There is a spare key... On the door frame!"  
Peter reached out for the key and opened the door. Connor was the first who left the pantry. Lindsay held his hand and wiped a tear from her face.  
"How did this happen?" asked Melanie horrified.  
"Lindsay's Dad!"  
"He has you locked in the pantry? Why?"  
"Because he´s probably broke," said Connor, "He has Lindsay's ring."  
"That's why he probably didn´t want to tell me what company he owns," Lindsay suggested, "We would have found out earlier he´s broke."  
"Wait a minute!" with these words, Peter left and began to search for Thomas because he desperately needed his help. He found Thomas with the pastor and with him he set off to the parking lot.  
There, William Donner was just getting in his car.  
"Mr. Donner, wait!", said Peter after him, but William said he had no time.  
"I don´t think so," Peter grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled out. Then Thomas went through his pockets and he found the ring.  
"Get lost, old man!" Peter said and pushed him against his car, "We can do without you." With Thomas, he went on his way back into the house.

"I have suspected something like that", Margret tried to comfort her daughter, "But it could be much worse... And now, wipe your tears off your face and go outside to marry the man of your dreams. You look so pretty, Linds."  
Now, Lindsay had to cry again. She breathed deeply and removed the mascara traces from her face and nodded in agreement. "Mom? Would you walk down the aisle with me?"  
Margret nodded and at that moment Thomas and Peter came in. "We have the ring! Here you have!", Thomas gave her the ring and Lindsay let out a happy breath. She thanked him and then it was time to go outside. Finally, she wanted to marry today.  
"Connor is already out there?", asked Peter. He and Thomas had to hurry if they still wanted to be best men.  
"She´s ready!", Peter tried to cheer Connor when he was waiting for his wife at the aisle.  
Connor stopped breathing when he saw her and she did the same. Although he had already seen her in her dress, she looked even more beautiful when she was happy.  
Lindsay was accompanied to Connor by her mother.  
"Who leads the bride to her future husband?", asked the pastor.  
"I do," replied Margret, embraced her daughter and then sat down next to Connor's father, Melanie, Thomas, Allie and Grandmother Kathryn in the front row.  
Lindsay took Connors hand a little excited, handed the bridal bouquet to Claire and they went together to the aisle. After the pastor explained why they had gathered here today, the actual part of the ceremony began: "...And now I ask you, Connor Milhouse Doyle: Do you take Lindsay Marie Donner to your wife? Do you want to love and honor her, in good or bad days, till death parts you?"  
"I do," said Connor.  
"Do you, Lindsay Marie Donner, take Connor Milhouse Doyle to your husband and do you promise to love and honor him in good and in bad days, till death parts you?"  
"I do."  
They exchanged rings and when the pastor announced that Connor was allowed kiss his wife, the guests clapped and Lindsay's Mom wiped a tear of emotion out of her eyes.  
Then they celebrated until the evening in the large pavilion, in which Melanie´s wedding had already taken place 15 months ago. Melanie had organized a band and a singer and after dinner it was time to open the dance. "Let me introduce you... Mr. and Mrs. Doyle!", said the singer and asked the newlywed couple for a dance on the floor.  
Connor and Lindsay danced to "You Are So Beautiful" and when the rest of the crowd came on the dance floor, Lindsay asked her husband a bit amused: "Your second name is actually Milhouse?"  
He even had to laugh a little. This question would have come sooner or later anyway.  
"Well, my family has a penchant for strange names. Allie's real name is Alaska."  
"Oh God," said Lindsay, when they danced a rotation, "If you compare this with the names of our children, Erica and Evan are boring names... But I guess that's fine." She laughed and kissed him.  
After their dance they left the floor and sat back to their table. "It was a wonderful wedding," Claire said with tears in her eyes and Lindsay agreed.  
"May I have your attention briefly" asked a voice and Connor and Lindsay looked like the other wedding guests to the stage on which Peter had grabbed a microphone, "Many of you don´t know me, but I'm Peter. On the occasion of the wedding of my friends, I have prepared a song ..."  
"Oh my God, he really wants to sing?", Claire took the words out of Lindsay´s mouth. Connor could not decide at the moment, who looked more horrified: Lindsay, Claire or Melanie, who had planned the party with full dedication.  
"The problem is," Peter began, "I want to sing a duet and I need some help."  
"I'm curious to see the poor woman which he had chosen for it," Claire whispered to Anton, who sat next to her.  
On stage, Peter lifted his head, looked through the crowd and said: "Claire, would you please help me?"  
Melanie screamed and everybody else applauded. With a queasy feeling in her stomach Claire got up and went to the stage. "I hope you know I can´t sing", she whispered, took a microphone and looked at him angrily, "You could obviously exercise before."  
"Come on, Claire. That will be fun", said Peter into the microphone and all the guests could listen. Then he sung the first line in the song "Show me heaven". Melanie and Thomas found that Peter sang very well, Claire wanted the ground to swallow her up. She was so glad when the song finally ended and she could leave the stage.  
"This was the most embarrassing moment I've ever experienced so far," said Claire, as she reached the table and drank her champagne glass. She decided she needed more alcohol to forget this embarrassing thing as soon as possible. So she went to the bar where she met Peter.  
"Angry?", he asked and raised his eyebrows.  
"Angry is not the word," said Claire, "I hate you." Claire walked past him and he grabbed her wrist.  
"Would you accept my excuse at least?"  
"I'm thinking about it." She tore herself away from him and picked up a glass of champagne from the bar and she almost choked on the drink, when Peter was on stage again, apologized to Claire and asked if he was allowed to take her out for dinner.  
"Throw the Bridal bouquet, Lindsay!", Melanie exclaimed suddenly very excited. Lindsay turned around, waved with the bouquet and then threw it into the crowd of female wedding guests who had taken up position at a distance. The bouquet landed right in Claire's arms and she was shocked that she had caught it. Peter grinned at her a little strange when he saw her shocked face.  
Meanwhile, Connor grabbed his wife´s hand. "Come," his voice was very loving. They left the huge pavilion, where the ceremony took place, together and went alone hand in hand through the dark garden. The night was still warm. "Where are we going?", asked Lindsay.  
She noted they were walking to the small boat house. "What are you doing?"  
Lindsay was sure they wouldn´t went without reason to the little wooden house where they had spent a not entirely inconsequential night 15 months ago. But this night was the smartest thing both have ever done, because without their two enchanting children would not be here now.  
"You haven´t answered my question," Lindsay realized and smiled when they entered the boathouse. They walked hand in hand until the end of the jetty, where a table, two chairs and a bottle of champagne was waiting for them.  
"I just want to be alone a little bit with my wife."  
"You can´t wait, right?"  
"Right!", at the end of the jetty he pulled her in his arms. The water shimmered in the moonlight.  
"Being together forever with you is…"  
"What?", she smiled at him.  
"It's indescribable."  
Again she smiled. "I know ... I love you so much."  
"I love you, too. Forever."

Fin


End file.
